Chris Nardi: With elections in sight, Quebec students should play by the rules to win

Quebec Election: With elections in sight, Quebec students should play by the rules to win

September 4. That’s a date most Quebecers will all be adding to their agendas, as it is heavily rumoured that Quebec premier Jean Charest intends to call an election for Labour Day weekend. The most unpopular premier in Canada, based on his approval ratings, is jumping on the fact that he is still ahead of the PQ in polls, with recent numbers showing the PLC leading the PQ with 33% support to 32%. Polls indicate that Charest is ahead in Montreal, Quebec City and their respective suburbs, though the PQ remains ahead of the Liberals in the remainder of the province.

With most members of cabinet, Charest included, on vacation until the end of July, sources within the party told La Presse that Jean Charest wants to “trigger elections as soon as possible.” Within the inner circle of ministers, some have argued already that the “next Council meeting [August 1] will be the last.” The writ for the general election on September 4 will likely be issued at that time.

But Liberal party members do not unanimously agree with Charest’s decision to send Quebecers back to the polls so quickly. Sources also told La Presse that a significant part of the Council of Ministers — almost half — would rather wait longer before bringing Quebecers back to the polls – at least until the budget was released in spring 2013. Among Liberal MPs, the sentiment is even stronger, according to an unnamed deputy.

The apprehension felt by party members towards the upcoming elections is understandable, though, as the Liberals must face a new and powerful obstacle: A youth that is both highly tuned into politics and, unfortunately for the party, very unsatisfied with Charest’s government. But with most students on vacation until the polls open, how will the student leaders react to such a crucial election?

In essence, there are only two ways that the CLASSE, FEUQ and FECQ can react. First of all, they can continue on in their familiar ways: organizing nightly rallies across the city that no one pays attention to anymore, staging mass demonstrations on the 22nd of every month, despite consistently waning participation, and all the other pompous bravado that Quebec has seen in the last five months.

Yet, as former student leader Jean Baillargeon fairly asks, “Will student leaders have the insight to avoid the trap of confrontation and radicalism in the month of August, knowing that such a strategy, already highly unsuccessful, would only succeed in re-electing a government that has already won the battle of public opinion over rising tuition fees?”

Or, secondly, they could do the right thing: encourage students to return to class in August as a sign of good faith, and instead do exactly what Liberal party members fear: participate massively in the upcoming September elections. But increased electoral participation of the student generation alone is not enough, as each student association must jointly coordinate the entire voting effort. Through social media and other networking platforms, leaders could help students vote pragmatically and strategically against the Liberal government, and any other candidates they suspect are against their cause, in order to avoid vote splitting that could bring Charest back to power. All this would help ensure that the political weight of this newly awoken voting class is fully felt.

If students really do believe in the cause that they clamor so loudly for in the streets, Quebecers can only hope that they show up when it really counts: at the polls. The time for excessive confrontation and radicalism is over. With polls indicating that 56% of Quebecers favour the government’s position in the student conflict, the leaders of the CLASSE, FEUQ and FECQ must show that, when the time comes, they can play by the rules – and win.